Coming in 2018 will be a busy for the post-Soviet countries. In addition to Russia, where in March presidential elections, in three countries will elect the head of state, and at least two — Parliament. In addition, in the CIS and Baltic States scheduled a number of important and interesting international events.

New presidents, parliaments, constitutions

In three countries of the region in the 2018 presidential elections, and in all three — in terms of coming into force of the amendments to the Constitution.

In the spring a new head of state will be elected in Armenia. After the end of the presidential term of Serzh Sargsyan, the country will fully switch to the parliamentary form of governance will come into effect constitutional reform in 2015. The President shall not be elected in national elections, and National Assembly deputies.

The situation is similar in Georgia — if the President is elected in direct elections, after the entry into force of the new Constitution vote will be assigned to 300 delegates. Elections will be held in the fall, the incumbent President Giorgi Margvelashvili has not excluded that will again fight for the post of head of state.

In October, ends a five-year term of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. The election of a new head of state will also be new, although the change is not so radical — now the country’s President will be elected not five, but seven years.

In addition, in 2018 elections to the Latvian Saeima and the Parliament of Turkmenistan. Ends and the term of office of the Parliament of Moldova, but in this country the election may be postponed until the beginning of 2019.

International organization

Armenia in the first half of 2018, will chair the black sea economic cooperation (BSEC), which was also includes Azerbaijan, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, Romania, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine. Yerevan urged not to politicize the activities of the BSEC and promised in the course of its presidency to focus on economic agenda aimed at expanding regional cooperation. This year’s summit of BSEC was held in Kiev with the scandal — the Russian delegation was not invited to participate, and at one of the meetings, which discussed the text of the final Declaration, was not invited the representative of Armenia.

In January 2018 Kazakhstan will chair the UN security Council. As the main events scheduled to hold an open debate of the UN security Council high-level international peace and security. In the same period of the planned visit of the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev to the United States.

In addition, at the beginning of the year in Astana will host a summit of the Caspian States, which can be signed a Convention on the legal status of the Caspian sea. The question of determining the legal status of the Caspian sea have gained relevance after the collapse of the USSR, when the emergence of new subjects of international law — Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan — raised the question of the delimitation of the Caspian between the five countries. The difficulty of determining the status of the Caspian sea are related, in particular, with the recognition of its lake or sea, the delimitation of which is governed by different provisions of international law.

Autumn in the capital of Kazakhstan will host the sixth Congress of leaders of world and traditional religions. This event was first held in 2003 at the initiative of President Nazarbayev and has since been held every year. The participation of high representatives of Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Taoism, Shintoism, Hinduism, and heads of several international organizations.

Year centuries

A number of countries in the coming year to celebrate the anniversaries of statehood in 1918, proclaimed the independence of the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Estonia and the Republic of Armenia. Subsequently, all three States became part of the USSR and regained its sovereignty only after its collapse, but the centenary of the Declaration of independence will be celebrated on a large scale in each country.

In Lithuania, the celebration will spend about 11 million euros. Main event will be held February 16 in the capital. At the presidential Palace, a ceremony of raising the national flag, festive concerts will be held on the Cathedral square and in the Theater of Opera and ballet. The celebration of independence Day coincide with the opening of several exhibitions at the National art gallery.

Armenia will mark not only the anniversary of the proclamation of sovereignty, but also the 2,800 th anniversary of Yerevan. In the city day traditionally organize folk festivals, concerts, exhibitions and competitions.

In the spring of Astana to host the international exhibition of armament KADEX-2018, which will be attended by enterprises of the military-industrial complex and space industry, leading design bureaus and scientific research institutes. It is planned that on the sidelines of the event for the first time will held international forum «Days of space in Kazakhstan», which will be one of the Central venues of the exhibition.